University of Minnesota Athletics

MINNEAPOLIS– The Roy Griak Invitational returns for the 38th time on Friday, September 20, when the University of Minnesota hosts one of the nation's premier cross country competitions at Les Bolstad Golf Course.

The ten-race event begins with the Men's 8K (Gold (DI)) at 10:00 a.m. CT, followed by the Women's 6K (Gold (DI)) at 10:45 a.m. CT. The race will be streamed live on B1G+ and RunnerSpace. The broadcast team will include Paul Swangard with former Gopher Ben Blankenship as co-commentator for the men's races and Carrie Tollefson for the women's race. In addition, Keenan Gray will serve as a courtside reporter and conduct interviews after the races. Fans can also watch the race live on PTTiming.com.

Participating Division I Men’s Teams
American, California, Colorado State, Minnesota, High Point, Navy, North Dakota, North Dakota State, North Texas, Ohio, Ohio State, Santa Clara, South Dakota State, St. Thomas (Minn.), Utah Valley, Wyoming, Youngstown State.

Participating Division I Women’s Teams
Americans, California, Colorado State (RV), Minnesota, Montana State, Navy, North Dakota, North Dakota State, North Texas, Ohio, Ohio State, San Diego State, Santa Clara, South Dakota State, St. Thomas (Minn.), #25 Utah Valley, Wyoming.

Roy Griak Invitational Schedule (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

• 10:00 a.m. – Merrill Fischbein Men’s Gold Contest (Division I).
• 10:45 am – Jack Johnson Women’s Gold Competition (Division I)
• 11:30 am – Men’s Jo Rider Maroon Race (Division II and III) Competition
• 12:15 pm – Suzy Wilson Women’s Maroon Race (Division II and III) Competition
• 1:30 p.m. – HS boys’ championship race
• 2:15 p.m. – HS Girls Championship Race
• 3:00 p.m. – Lefty Wright Boys HS Maroon Competition
• 3:45 p.m. – High School Girls Maroon Competition
• 4:30 p.m. – Gold competition for boys at Larry Zirgibel HS
• 5:15pm – Gary Wilson HS Girls Gold Competition

COVER STORY | Scott Stallman: For the good of the Griak

For 51 years, the state of Minnesota was privileged to have the late Roy Griak run on its cross-country courses and influence the running youth of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. One could easily argue that his influence was felt most strongly by Saint Louis Park native Scott Stallman.

“This year is my 60th consecutive cross country season without a break,” Stallman said. “I started in Saint Louis Park…”

To learn more about Scott Stallman's incredible career, read the full story here on GopherSports.com.

Honoring a legend
Roy Griak is a cross country coaching legend and a leader at the University of Minnesota for more than five decades. His greatest contribution to the sport is perhaps the competition that bears his name. The Roy Griak Invitational is not only one of the premier cross country meets in the country, but it also honors Coach Griak and his immeasurable contributions to the sport and the University of Minnesota. Since its inception in 1986, the event has grown from two Division I races in its first incarnation to now 10 races for Division I, Division II, Division III and high school student-athletes and programs.

Griak, a former Gophers standout who passed away on July 9, 2015, served the University of Minnesota for more than 50 years as a member of the men's track and field and cross country coaching staff and remained a lifelong stalwart of his alma mater.

Gophers to watch
Redshirt senior from the University of Minnesota Erin Reidy and Redshirt Junior Emmet Anderson were named the Big Ten's cross country team “Runners to Watch,” the conference office announced Aug. 22.

Anderson was Minnesota's top cross country runner in three of the six meets of the 2023 season. The Staples, Minnesota native helped Minnesota win the Badger Classic in Madison, Wisconsin, by finishing fifth overall, which helped the Maroon and Gold become the NCAA Team of the Week. Reidy, of Downers Grove, Illinois, was the program's top runner last season at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Stillwater, Oklahoma, finishing 29th overall. She was also the top runner for the Maroon and Gold at the Griak Invitational, finishing 36th.

Kohut-Jackson named Big Ten Athlete of the Week
PhD student Noah Kohut-Jackson was named Big Ten Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week, the conference office announced Sept. 4. The Ames, Iowa, native won Minnesota's season opener, the Oz Memorial, on Aug. 30. Kohut-Jackson's win at the Oz Memorial was his first career cross country victory. With a personal best time of 15:56.2, Kohut-Jackson won the 5K event at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights and helped the Gophers to a home victory to open the 2024 season.

Griak tickets now on sale
Skip the race day wait and purchase Roy Griak Invitational tickets online at GopherSports.com. General admission tickets can be purchased online and at the front gate on race day.

Next: Invitation to Loyola Lakefront
The Maroon & Gold will send the majority of their team to the Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Chicago, Illinois on October 4. Another portion of the team will compete in the Blugold Invitational in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, also on October 4. For more information on the Golden Gophers' cross country schedule, visit the men's and women's schedule pages on GopherSports.com.